Door closer and mount



March 14, '1939. A H FLORETH 2,150,435

DOOR CLOSER AND .MOUNT Filed Feb. 25, 1938 j ALV//v/Y/ amer# PatentedMar. 14, 1939 n UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

My invention relates to means for closing doors, and more particularlyto a spring device and mounting for use upon screen-doors and the like.However, the principles of the instant device may be embodied instructures for closing auvariety of types of doors. y

The present device consists generally of a hollow vcylindrical coiledspring body having arms extended in one direction from its endconvoluttions and other arms extended in an opposite direction fromintermediate convolutions, said arms providing pressure members that areurged respectively against the door and the door frame. Combined withthis spring structure is a mounting device that preferably embodies thecharacteristic that it may be separated or opened, after one of itsparts is secured to the door-frame, for the purpose of assemblingthespring structure therewith. The mounting device is constructed in amanner that permits it being closed and its movable part secured inplace and thereby maintain the spring device against unintentionalremoval. Furthermore, portions of the mounting device are especiallyconstructed in lorder ythat at no time will the pressure member which isnearest the mounting plate come into actual contact with the door ordoor-frame. This prevents marring or damaging the woodwork either duringthe installing of the door closer or during the use or operation of myimproved device. The construction and arrangement of the parts is suchthat the device is easy to install and this may be done without the useof special tools. My improved door-closer is effective in performing itsfunctions, and it is sturdily made so that it will withstand severeusage. Also it is economical to manufacture and therefore may be soldfora reasonable retail price.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent to personsskilled in the art after the construction and operation of my improveddoor-closer is understood from the within disclosure. I prefer tovpractice my invention in substantially the manner hereinafterv fullydescribed and as particularly pointed out in the appended claims. Theaccompanying drawing is referred to for a better understanding of the mydoor-closer and mount secured to a doorframe and in position for use.

Figure 2 is a top plan of the structure illusmated in Figure 1. Y

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken on line V3--3 of Figure 1.

the required length and of suitable gage, that` is bent Vat about itscenter of length into a presser member C that is formed with twoconnected arms 5 and is of a U-shape.. These arms extend tangent fromthe adjacent inner convolutions of 1 a yhollow c'ylindrical'bcdycomposed of a pair of oppositely coiled springs 6 that are disposed insuperposed axial alinement with 4each other, and

said coils are spaced from each other to provide a gap :r between thecoils which permits entrance of the presser member arms 5 when the dooris moved open to its fullest extent, thus preventing distortion of thecloser device. The springs 6 are preferably right-hand and left-handcoils, and they afford the means for mounting the closer spring upon itssupporting bracket. There are upper and loWer arms l that extend tangentfrom the outermost, or upper and lower convolutions of the cylindricalspring body and they project in a direction opposite to the pressermember C. These arms are disposed substantially parallel to each otherand at their outer and' free ends theyare provided with laterallydisposed members 8 that are bent so as to extend towards each other sothat they combine to provide a journal for the roller 9 that isrotatably mounted thereon. The journal members 8 may be readily insertedinto the bore of roller 9 by spreading the arms 'l during assembly ofthe device, and after the roller has been properly disposed suitablemeans are clamped to the arms for the purpose of maintaining them iniixed relation tol each other so that they Will move simultaneously.vThis clamping means is preferably a metal plate l0 that extends betweenthe arms Tand has its end portions seamed or beaded around the Wire armsas shown at Il in the drawing, thus forming a connector which reinforcesthe structure. The arms l, together with the roller and its journals,provides another presser member which yieldably engages the door so thatwhen the latter is moved the roller will have a rolling action againstthe engaged surface of the door and the cylindrical body will urge thedoor to a closed position when the door is released. y

The means for mounting the closer is preferably in the form of a bracketmember that is preferably a two-part construction. As shown in Figure 1,this bracket `is made in such manner that one of its members remainsrigidly mounted on the door-frame and the other member is Vwise movementthereof when said member is plained.

disposed between said lips. plates which are nearest the juncture of thedoor and door-frame there are L-shaped extensio-ns the shorter arms l5and I6 of which project horizontally from upper and lower portions ofthe respective plates so as to position their respective longer arms Iland I8 in vertical positions and spaced from the bodies of the plates.These plates are oppositely shaped, to provide right-hand and left-handelements and the said longer arms of the L-shaped extensions provideposts to receive the coiled cylindrical body of the closer device. Asseen in Figures l and 3V the ends of the posts Il and IllY abut eachotherland the facing edges of the'shorter arms I5 and I6 act as stops tobe engaged with the outermost convolutions of the spring coils B formingthe cylindrical body. The lower portions of the plates remote to theposts are preferably of a substantially right-angular formation withstraight edge portions I9Vand 2U that abut each other preferably intheplane of the abutting ends of the posts. The adjacent corners of theplates are rounded or arcuate as sho-wn. at 2| in Figure l the purposeof which will later be eX- 'I'he manner of mounting the door Vcloser andbracket is Very simple as is also the method of assembling the springelements on the bracket. TheV first step is to anchor the bracket platesI2 and I3 upon the door-frame B with the closer structure omitted. Theseplates are preferably isposed in the manner shown in Figure l, theVposts Il and I8 being at one side of the juncture of the door and framewith the ends of the posts in abutting relation and with the straightedges I9 and 2) in contact. The securing means or screw y that isnearest the post Il of the upper plate I2 is then removed and the screwz loosened slightly so that the said plate l2 may be swung in an upwarddirection using the screw e as a pivot as shown in dotted lines. step isto insertl the coiled or cylindrical body 6 onto the post I8 which isaccomplished by moving the closer member in a downward direction whilepressing it inward towards the door -or door-frame. While performingthis step the roller 9 is engaged with the door and the presser memberVC is always in contact with the metal plates adjacent their edgeportionsY I9 and 20 which prevents marring or damaging the rln.- ish orsurface of the door or frame.

position during which movement its post I'I enlters'the upper portion ofthe coiled cylindrical Y body E until its lower end abuts the end of theother post I8 and the straight edges I9 and 2U are contacting eachother. The screw y is now replaced and the other or pivot screw e istightened into position. In this nal position the lips or stops I4 willbe engaged with intermediate portions of the arms 5 of the presser mem-Y ber C and prevent dislodgement of the latter;Y the end portion of saidpresser member will con- At the edges of the The next The final step isto swing the plate I2 back to its initial tact the surfaces of theplates; and the spring coils I5, 6, of the central cylindrical body willbe maintained in position on the posts between the short lateral arms I5and I I5 that connect the posts to the plates so that the coilsaresubstantially encompassed by the mounting device. It will be observedthat at no time does the presser member come into contact with thesurface of the woodwork, either during the operation of mounting thedoor closer or during the use of my device.`

The plates of the mounting bracket are made in complementary shapes andthey are constructed in a manner that permits this bracket structure tobe Y readily mounted upon either the right-hander the left-hand'uprightof the door frame depending upon which side the door is hinged. It willbe seen that there is .a separate or individual post for each ofthecoiled springs comprising the central cylindrical body with theresult that there is less liability of the posts bending than where .asingle post is used for the purpose of mounting the closer.

In the modified structure illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 the mountingplates are inserted in the usual space between the edge 4of the door andthe adjacent side of the frame and thegposts project beyond the plane ofthe outer surface of the door to receive the central cylindrical body.The upper and lower complementary plates I2a and I 3a in thismodification are flat throughout, and hence fo-r this purpose the sameblank as used in the first-described form may be employed except thatsaid blank need not be bent laterally forY the posts I'I andV I8 and thelips or stops I4 as in the rst form. vThis effects a saving astheshaping or forming operations on the plates are eliminated and only theb-lanking operation is needed. This vmodif-led type of bracket structureis especially adapted for use in connection with door-closer devicessuch as disclosed in Figure 5 wherein both the pressermembers 22 and 423are 'provided with rollers 9 respectivelyV to engage the outer faces ofthe door andthe doo-r frame. The-presser-member 23'is formed with arms25 extending from the inner Vadjacent convolutions of Y the respectivecoils 6, E and said member is widened by providing the arms with obliqueportions 26. 'This door-closer is fabricated from two pieces ofwire,andthe endsVV of the Wires forming the pressermember are bent laterallyand extend towards each other to .provide the journals 21 for theroller. In order to provide rigidity the arms 25 are connected bya metalstrip 28 that is beaded Y over the arms in the same manner as the stripI0 is connected to the arms of the other pressermember. .The manner ofassembling the bracket with the door-closer in this modification issubstantially the same as hereinbefore described in connection with thepreferred form.

While I have herein disclosed a preferred form in which my invention maybe made, it will be obvious that this is capable of 'variation andmodification without departing from the principles involved. I thereforedesire it understood that I do not limit myself to the precise detailsof constructionherein set forth, but I desire to VIavail myself of anyand all variations and modications'as comewithin the scope of vtheappended claims.

What I claim isz- 1, A bracket for a door-closer embodying two platesdisposed back of YandV engaged by a pressermember of the door-closer;posts on said plates disposed normally in alinement with each otherandengaged with another portion of the doorcloser; and a plurality ofdevices for mounting said plates upon a suitable support; one of saiddevices providing a pivot upon which one of said plates is adapted to bemoved upon removal of the other device from said plate whereby the postcarried by said plate is moved out of alinement with the other post.

2. A device for mounting a door closer upon a support, said deviceembodying a pair of plates; posts carried by said plates and disposednormally in alinement with each other; means for securing one of saidplates to the support in xed relation thereto; and a member forattaching the other plate to the support, said member providing a pivotadapting said plate for movement in an arcuate path with respect to thefixed plate, whereby the post carried by said movable plate is disposedout of alinement with the other post and spaced therefrom.

3. A mounting bracket for a door-closer embodying two complementaryplates disposed normally edge-to-edge and providing a surface that iscontacted by a presser-member of the doorcloser; and separable means onsaid plates for co-actively connecting the door-closer to said bracket;one of said plates adapted for movement relative to the other platewhereby to separate said separable means while the before-mentionedpresser-member remains in contact with said plates.

4. A mounting device for a door-closer embodying normally alined posts;and separate plates carrying the respective posts, one of said platesadapted to be maintained stationary upon a support and the other platehaving a hinged connection with the support adapting said plate forswinging movement with respect to the stationary plate whereby the postcarried by said movable plate is moved out of co-active relation withrespect to the other post.

5. A mounting `device for a door-closer embodying normally alined posts;and separate plates carrying the respective posts, one of said platesadapted to be maintained stationary upon a support and the other platehaving a hinged connection with thev support adapting said plate forswinging movement with respect to the stationary plate whereby the postcarried by said movable plate is moved out of co-active relation withrespect to the other post; and means for securing said hinged plateagainst movement.

6. A mounting bracket for a door-closer embodying complementary platesdisposed edge-toedge; L-shaped extensions projecting towards each otherfrom spaced side .portions of said plates, the longer arms of saidextension being oi-set from said plates; certain portions of the edgesof said plates that are remote to said extensions having normal contactwith each other and providing a continuous outer surface; means forflxedly mounting one of said plates on a suitable support; and separatemeans for attaching the other plate to the support, said separate meansproviding a pivot adapting said plate for hinging movement on thesupport to separate adjacent portions of said L-shaped extensions.

7. A mounting bracket for a door-closer embodying complementary platesdisposed edge-toedge; L-shaped extensions projecting towards veach otherfrom spaced side portions of said plate, the longer arms of saidextensions being off-set from said plates; certain portions of the edgesof said plates that are remote to said extensions having normal contactwith each other and providing a continuous outer surface; and means forattaching said plates to a suitable support, certain of said meansproviding a pivot for one of said plates and adapting said plate forhinging movement on the support.

8. As a new article of manufacture a bracket embodying normally alinedmembers adapted to engage spaced portions of a coiled Vspring body of adoor closer, and supporting means for said members, said means normallyengaged by a presser arm of a door closer, said means also adapting oneof said normally alined members for movement away from the other member.

9. As a new article of manufacture a bracket embodying normally alinedposts adapted to engage spaced portions of a coiled spring body' of adoor closer, and supporting plates for said posts, said plates normallyengaged by a presser arm of a door closer, one of said plates adaptingone of said posts for movement away from the other post and out ofengagement with the aforesaid coiled spring body.

10. A bracket for a door-closer embodying normally alined membersadapted to engage spaced portions of the door-closer; and supportingvmeans for said alined members, said means adapting one of said alinedmembers for movement away from the other member.

11. A bracket for a door-closer embodying mounting means adapted to besecured to a support; and door-closer engaging members on said meanswhich engage with spaced portions of the door-closer; one of saidmembers adapted for movement with respect to the other member wherebythe movable member may be engaged with and disengaged from thedoor-closer.

12. A bracket for a door-closer embodying coacting plates adapted to besecured the one above the other on a support; and posts on said platesthat are off-set with respect thereto, one of said posts extendingupward from the lower plate and the other post extending downward fromthe upper plate whereby the proximate ends of said posts are engagedwith a portion of the doory closer, and one of said posts adapted formovement independent of the other post to disengage it from thedoor-closer.

13. A bracket for a door-closer embodying nor mally alined posts adaptedto engage spaced opposite portions of the door-closer; and supportingmeans for each post, one o-f said supporting means adapting therespective post for movement into a position to disengage said post fromthe door-closer.

14. A mounting bracket for a door-closer embodying normally alined postsadapted to engage portions of a door-closer; supporting means for saidposts, one of said posts being adapted for movement into and out ofengagement with respect to a door-closer; and means on said supportingmeans for maintaining a door-closer presser-member in engagement withsaid supporting means.

15. A mounting bracket for a door-closer embodying co-acting plates,certainrportions of said plates maintaining fixed relation in respectto: each other; means for mounting said plates for relative movementwith respect to each other; and means for limiting movement of theplates towards each other.

ALVIN I-I. FLORETI-I.

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